Can Ns Be Hosted On An Ultra5 With Solaris8?

michael-gc · February 2003

<div class="IPBDescription">can ns be hosted on an ultra5 with solar</div> can ns be hosted on an ultra5 with solaris8?
it's an ultrasparc-iie with 360mhz and 128m ram.

i'm curious if the NS server software can be run on a machine like this, and if so, how many players could i expect to be able to host without it getting really laggy? --Michael

masterswordman · February 2003

Baiscly I'm confused by your post, if it's a windows or linux os NO.

You at least need 1.5 GHX + and 512 MB ram +

michael-gc · February 2003

there is an operating system out there called solaris.... it's a unix based operating system. ie. the OS a linux is based off of, and i want to run a dedicated natural selection server off of it. it's similar to linux in a lot of ways, overall it's more dedicated to acting as a professional server.
solaris: <a href='http://wwws.sun.com/software/solaris/' target='_blank'>http://wwws.sun.com/software/solaris/</a>

the server hardware i would use would be an ultra5:
<a href='http://ru.sun.com/win/products/workstations/ultra5/pics/ultra5.jpg' target='_blank'>http://ru.sun.com/win/products/workstation...pics/ultra5.jpg</a>

i'm curious if this is viable, if the NS dedicated server software will run on solaris. Also, for some reason I don't believe the dedicated server software requires 1.5ghz and 512m ram, can anyone verify this? --michael

also, if it IS possible to run NS DS software on this machine, how many users could i expect to support? 16? 22? 24? the entire server would be dedicated to NS.

Epoch · February 2003

Yeah, as long as it's Unix based I believe you can do it.

However, Natural Selection will <b>not</b> run on a 360 MHz chip. NS is very CPU intensive, maybe as much as 6x more demanding an any other Half-Life mod to date. To run a decent 12 player game you will need a 1.0-1.3 GHz machine (even then, CPU usage will be from 75-90% when full). I'm sorry, but with your current processor I would forget about running an NS server.

lumotek · February 2003

I run a NS server on Win2k on a 733MHz P3 with **** 256MB (i spend $25) PC133 ram. Of course I had problems starting off: lag spikes, overflows and the likes; not to mention i'm running it all through a **** up Linksys router. I installed Ping Booster, and with 14ppl I run average 175 pings and 100fps. I disagree that you need a 1+GHz chip. Anyone could get the same setup today for less than $100 w/o monitor, keyboard, etc.

Has anyone tried a similar setup but on linux? I ran a Linux CS server a few months ago on the same machine with no problems, but didnt like linux.

Too bad i have to share this T3 with about 1000 other users. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/turret.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='turret.gif'>

playerhater · February 2003

Ive worked wih many Sparc Clones and Ultras running Solaris 8. The only thing I can say is that the only thing you can do is try. Many applications developed for Linux just will not run well on Solaris if at all. I would try it anyway and let us know how it works out for you. Sun hardware is very differnet. If all else fails, I would try running a version of Red Hat on your Sun box, you would probably have a better go at it. Although, running Linux on a Sun box is not very stable IMHO.

The only thing I hate about Solaris is how bare bones it is. You have to install everything!! <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif'> Other then that, its a wonderful OS on Sun equipment, very stable...

Vadakill · February 2003

The main issue with running a NS server on SUN servers is that they use SPARC processors. Sad to say, the Half-Life dedicated server engine used to run Natural-Selection is compiled to work on Linux and Win32 with x86 only. So the long and short of the question is the SPARC proccessor from SUN is not supported by HLDS.

eaglec · February 2003

Masterswordman - I haven't seen you around these boards for long but you seem determined to force your misconceptions on other people.I run a 16player server on a p3-750 with 3xxmb of ram (i forget but it doesnt matter)

Now getting it to run well requires some skill so it's probably not for everyone but it can be done, sparc's are a whole different ball game and you can't judge a 380mhz sparx with a 380mhz x86 and my experience of them is somewhat limited. (I've stuck an OS on a couple and set up NIS server/client but nothing really techy)

My answer Michael would be that if you really know what your doing then yes, you will be able to get it running in some way or another but it may be a larger project than it was worth! If you decide to take on the chalenge then please let me know how you got on, because I'm using sparcs as door stops at the moment <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'>

michael-gc · February 2003

Interesting... I may try setting it up but it probably wouldn't be for a week or so at least. Also just as an FYI this is an ultrasparc not a sparc, very diff architecture.

verbose · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (michael-gc @ Feb 8 2003, 02:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> can ns be hosted on an ultra5 with solaris8?
it's an ultrasparc-iie with 360mhz and 128m ram.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
No. Not unless you can get a hold of the HLDS source and recompile it <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

HLDS is built for x86; very different architecture from *sparcs. *sparc and x86 don't even use the same endian-ness!

(x86 is little-endian, *sparc is big-endian. Basically, they order their bytes differently. Very not compatible)

masterswordman · February 2003

I really don't think it's worth going through all those hassles. Ues I do beleive that it requires at least a *1.5 Ghz, but I also said that I didn't know what he was talking about. It would be easier just to get a new machine. That's a regular pc.

It's just like comparing mac to pc, so I really can't tell you.

cracker_jackmac · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (masterswordman @ Feb 8 2003, 06:57 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I really don't think it's worth going through all those hassles. Ues I do beleive that it requires at least a *1.5 Ghz, but I also said that I didn't know what he was talking about. It would be easier just to get a new machine. That's a regular pc.

It's just like comparing mac to pc, so I really can't tell you.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
actually u can. you can install Linux on both PPC and x86 archs. Then u can bench them both.

verbose · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (cracker jackmac @ Feb 8 2003, 06:05 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (masterswordman @ Feb 8 2003, 06:57 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I really don't think it's worth going through all those hassles. Ues I do beleive that it requires at least a *1.5 Ghz, but I also said that I didn't know what he was talking about. It would be easier just to get a new machine. That's a regular pc.

It's just like comparing mac to pc, so I really can't tell you. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
actually u can. you can install Linux on both PPC and x86 archs. Then u can bench them both.  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
And on various Sun boxes. Check out "UltraLinux".

verbose · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> actually u can. you can install Linux on both PPC and x86 archs. Then u can bench them both. </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
And on various Sun boxes. Check out "UltraLinux". </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
And a preemptive strike:

Just because you have Linux running on a PPC or sparc chip doesn't mean HLDS will run. HLDS was still compiled with an x86 target. Unless you can obtain a copy of HLDS that was compiled for your architecture, it will not run.

michael-gc · February 2003

Is the HLDS software not open source? Would it be unlikely for me to get my hands on it so I could compile it on solaris?

cracker_jackmac · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (michael-gc @ Feb 8 2003, 07:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Is the HLDS software not open source? Would it be unlikely for me to get my hands on it so I could compile it on solaris?  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
I doubt valve would compile a Sparc Version. There just isn't a market for it. So i'm sure they wouldn't waste the man power to port it to sparc. (or UltraSparc)

:-\ unless u have some sort of emulation....your SOL (is there such an animal?)

verbose · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (michael-gc @ Feb 8 2003, 06:37 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Is the HLDS software not open source? Would it be unlikely for me to get my hands on it so I could compile it on solaris?  </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> 
How's that saying go...snowball's chance in he^H^H purgatory? <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

verbose · February 2003

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (cracker jackmac @ Feb 8 2003, 10:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>unless u have some sort of emulation....your SOL (is there such an animal?)</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
There might be, but machine emulation is computationally expensive. If you're into the console-emu or MAME scene, you know this oh so well. I think DEC (Alpha) had a fairly cool, on-the-fly, adaptive x86 emulation project at one time (memory fuzzy on this), but in practice it only worked so-so. You'd run a program, it'd crash out. The translation table learned how to run that particular program a bit better from this, and you tried again, getting a little further. Repeat.

Instead of trying to emulate x86 on expensive Suns and Alphas, most people just drop the cash on el-cheapo (comparatively) x86 rig <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

Boneless · February 2003

This topic has been dicussed on VALVE hlds linux mailing list a lot of times. hlds_l can't run on sparc machines.

scottl · February 2003

Yep ^ he is correct. A long time back i gave a try to getting HLDS to run on my Ultra5 Sparc(same as yours). Getting it install is no hastle(just untarring the damn thing). When you go to run the actual server. It will bomb out, I forget the actual errors but I don't need to go there. x86 and Sparc-ultrasparc processors are completely different. Most if not all game servers(including hlds) have no reason to support these processors(more work, and not that many people have em FOR GAMES). even if you were able to get the source for hlds you would probably run into issues getting it to compile correctly.

FYI: i tried installing/running it with RedHat 6.2(last supported sparc version by RH), and with AuroraLinux at the time. I currently run it as a workstation with a stable release of Aurora(www.auroralinux.com), works pretty good as a workstation(used to be a big paperweight). And if you ever do get a version that supports Sparc from Valve or the source, I would be curious to how it works and how many Counter-Strike slots it will support.

Solaris will run HLDS, Solaris also makes a x86 build of there OS that I have heard of people running HLDS off it. If I can find myself a cheap version of the OS for x86 i will put one up to see how it runs, but i don't like solaris myself.

See the post below. I would ignore that. Hehe

SpiritMaster · February 2003

hlds_l was compiled for Linux users BY Linux users (Damn their oily hides!)

the only way you can run hlds is to run Linux or an OS that does linux emulation (FreeBSD).

Even if by some feat of magic you managed to compile hlds_l and make it work on a Solaris box, NS wont run becuase it to is compiled under Linux.

Vadakill · February 2003

The OS really doesn't matter, the fact is that he is going to try to run it on a SPARC (ultrasparc) processor for which HLDS is not available. Like another person said on these boards, it's been asked, over and over on the HLDS_L mailing list and the same answer came each time, it only runs on processors that understand the x86 architecture.

Dodgy_Bob · February 2003

Just thought I'd back up Verbose here, he's dead right. I'm a Unix Administrator by trade. I also own various boxes including IBM RS/6000 running AIX and a Sparc with Solaris 8. It won't run.

Roobubba · February 2003

And whoever it was said you can only run NS on a 1.5+GHz/512MB system is talking out of his arse. Admittedly my server is a 1.4 Athlon with 512Meg, but you only have to read around the forums to see people running more than adequate servers on <1000MHz systems. It just takes a bit of tweaking to get them running nicely <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'>

masterswordman · February 2003

You can get much better performance following my "ideal server" guidelines. It is even possible to run 2 NS servers from that machine pretty well. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'>

starvey · February 2003

As it's already been drilled down.. But I'll say it again. No, nope, nada. I've seen a grand total of one Game server running on A SunOS/Solaris box.. and that was a copy of the Doom source code that some intrepid college buddy had recompiled (After it was released, and had been open source for well over 2 years.. So it can pretty much ported)

Speaking as one of the stuckup Solaris admins. (Sorry, it's my day job) I can say that as brilliant as it would be to have a fully optimized version of HLDS for Solaris.. it just won't happen. Too much money to hire coders familiar with platform, and the hardware/memory requirements. Never mind the sudden total runing of the current code cross-platform compatibility. We're talking a rewrite, or a code fork of epic proportions to make something like this work. It will likely never happen. Plus not to crap all over the Earlier posters Parade, but an Ultra 5 is pretty low on the food chain. About equal in terms of raw CPU horsepower as a Pentium2-300. Much much much greater memory IO.. than a P2.. But yea, it's getting a bit antiquated.

But.. on the other hand.. I suddenly feel much better for running an Athlon 2000, with 1gig of ram as my server. Sure it might be overkill for 18 players. But damn, it never chokes on Hera. And that is what counts. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif'>

Can Ns Be Hosted On An Ultra5 With Solaris8?

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